Arkane Studios is seemingly working on a new game, and there is reason to believe that it could be a new entry in the beloved Dishonored franchise. The action-stealth series has been dormant for a few years now, but Arkane Studios has continued to push out other titles since the Dishonored: Death of the Outsider standalone DLC in 2017. Still, the spirit of the series appears to live on in Arkane's newer releases, and the highly anticipated Redfall seems to take some notes from Dishonored.
Dishonored was the entry point for many when it comes to Arkane Studios' work. The games follow master assassin Corvo Attano, with the second game introducing his daughter, Emily Kaldwin, as a playable character. The central focus of these games is complex, intricate stealth gameplay similar to immersive sims like System Shock and Deus Ex, where multiple gameplay mechanics can work together to create surprising or outlandish effects. In both games, players have a number of weapons, gadgets, and creative powers at their disposal, all of which can be used for either fairly straightforward stealth gameplay or more advanced, domino-effect maneuvers. Arkane would go on to revisit this blend of shooter and super-power FPS with subsequent releases like Prey and the BAFTA-nominated Deathloop.
Although Arkane Studios has moved on to other projects, it may be going back to Dishonored for a new game in the series. As spotted by Game Rant, a ZeniMax job listing for a Lead Level Designer has been shared by Arkane, likely meaning a new title is in development. The job listing somewhat conspicuously mentions Dishonored, suggesting the project might be tied to the iconic franchise. While the listing doesn't confirm a new Dishonored, it seems the project will be linked to it, with the website stating that the ideal candidate should have an "understanding of the values of the game design philosophy behind action adventure stealth games such as the Dishonored series."
Given the fact that Lead Level Designer is a key role in game development, it's unlikely that this job listing is connected to Arkane Studios' recently-delayed 2023 title Redfall. Thus, this posting may signal the development of a new game, and Dishonored would be a solid choice for the studio, as it has maintained a passionate fanbase over the years and still lives on in games like Ralph Colantonio's Weird West, which has a clear Dishonored Easter egg. If a Dishonored 3 were able to fully take advantage of new-gen hardware, it could be a truly exciting and advanced game.
While it's certainly not unlikely that Arkane would be working on Dishonored 3 or some sort of spin-off, fans should also consider other possibilities. 2017's Prey is another franchise that springs to mind, as it boasts similar action-adventure and stealth mechanics, and it would make sense for Arkane to be considering a follow-up after five years. Dishonored or not, fans will have to wait and see what Arkane Studios is working on.